THIS WEEK IN COMMITTEE: ZINKE TALKS ABOUT BUDGET CUTS

On Thursday, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke is testifying at our Committee hearing on the president's Fiscal Year 2018 budget request that slashes the Department's budget by 10 percent. Secretary Zinke is proposing to make the largest cuts to the National Park Service since WWII, push career staff out of their jobs, and eliminate key programs important for land management agencies. Democrats on the Committee are outraged that Secretary Zinke has already broken his promise to protect and preserve our public places. The FY18 budget proves the Republican anti-public lands agenda is being pushed forward and our public lands, like the Arctic National Wild Refuge in Alaska, are in danger of being sold off to the oil and gas industry.

You still have time to voice your opinion to protect our national monuments from being opened up for mining, logging and drilling: http://bit.ly/2q61opJ. DOI is accepting public comments until July 10th. (The public comment period for Bears Ears has been extended to July 10th.)